Organized Play Line Developer
|
Having discovered that the missing children were abducted by kobolds while camping near the old burnt down orphanage, Kiyla picks up their trail, and the group enters the Darkmoon Vale... This ancient, fey-filled, haunted forest is incredibly dangerous. Even at high noon little light breaches the rocky eaves and thick forest canopy, making night one with day. In its shadowy, rustling depths even the local lumberjacks fear to tread, sticking as close to the edge of the woods as they can.
Kiyla is a somber child, pale and slender and no more than ten. She has short hair that hangs in perfect waves, neatly pinned back behind a large white flower blossom. Her skin is soft and pale, and her eyes are a deep grey. She never smiles or frowns. Never seems to feel anything, really. She grew up here, in Falcon's Hollow. Misery and death are old friends.
Kiyla wears a pretty white lace dress, crisp and clean, and polished little white shoes on her feet. Atop her dress she whears a silver, gleaming breastplate, and in her belt is looped a magical axe and a unicorns horn. The horn was her pride and joy. She cut it off herself. After she killed the unicorn. Which she tortured for days.
It was among her fondest memories.
You see, Kiyla wasn't just strange. She was foul. Evil. A darkness lurked inside her, and the only thing that brought it any peace and any joy was to dance. To dance to the beautiful music sung by animals in pain.
She LOVED to dance.
But now she wasn't hunting animals for their songs. She was hunting children. That ugly old man who ran the town had made her new Mom go after the stupid kids who got themselves lost because HIS smelly son was one of them and HE wanted HIM back.
She wondered if any of the other children liked to dance...
---
As the group heads into the woods Kiyla track the kobolds trail and leads them forward.
Kasonya's mother was a cultist who worshipped the Shax, the Blood Marquis, demon lord of lies and murder. She made a bargain with Shax: she would sacrifice hundreds of souls and in exchange she would be granted untold power. She performed the sacrifices and felt the power flow through her! It had worked!
But she hadn't known that she was pregnant at the time. And as her infant grew inside of her she grew in power. Until one day she gave birth to Kasonya. The minute the child left her womb all of her powers fled. For Shax had't given the powers to the culitst, he had given them to her unborn child. To Kasonya. Every soul that her mother had sacrificed, and every drop of blood was bound to Kasonya. In rage her mother tried to kill Kasonya, but the spirits killed her mother instead.
Now a grown woman, Kasonya is a monster. She can control blood and bind the souls she sacrifices to her in order to increase her powers. Every such bound soul she paints on a card, which she keeps with her at all times. The deck is quite full! She wears shrunken heads woven into her long black hair, one of which still speaks. One of her arms is skeletal, and the more she uses her powers the more flesh and muscle wastes away from her arm, causing the skeletal hand to grow in length. Sacrificing souls reverses this process for a time. But never completely. Shax had marked her. Her hand was a sign of their covenant.
She had been alone with only her souls for company for a long time, but recently she had made friends. And so, even though she hated the woods, Kasonya gathered up her skirts and struggled her way through the Drkmoon Vale after some kids who would probably scream at the sight of her.
Not that she cared.
It didn't matter anyway. Lorelei was her friend. One of her only ones. And she needed her help.
Professor Fancypants McMaan was an talented doctor, alchemist, and inventor. He was old and short, but had very fine pants. He lives in a house outside of Falcon's Hollow, and when he discovered the mysterious lair of Lorelei the necromancer and healer, he know they would be the best of friends. Professor McMaan picks up his pig and puts it on his shoulder.
"Come along, Professor Pig!" he tells it. He had trapped the soul of an old scientific rival in a gem and used it to make the pig familiar. What genius!
"Come along, Poppets!" he calls them.
Professor McMaan didn't care about the kids they were going to rescue. He didn't care if they lived or died, or were sacrificed by Kasonya, or made into zombies by Lorelei. He was just happy to be hanging out with his new friends! What a joy to find colleagues of equal brillance!
Professor Pig snorts a few times and goes for a ride on his master's shoulder. Except his master is so weak he can only carry him for a minute. Then he walks.
Slowly and quietly a strange little wooden doll follows after the Professors.
Quickly and nimbly a tiny little wooden doll with a mop of straw hair on its head follows after the professors.
Lorelei was a pretty healer who lived outside of Falcon's Hollow in a lovely little cottage. She was very nice, and very friendly. Everybody loved her.
Only, Lorelei had secrets. Lots of secrets. She was necromancer, for starters. And she was only nice because being loved kept her safe and powerful. She had a magical fairy rabbit who gave her powers. Only it was a horribly evil demon in disguise.
Lorelei's best friend was Kasonya. She had seen the woman with the skeleton hand walking down the road and ran right up to her. She looked at her hand, smiled, and said, "How beautiful!" No one had told Kasonya that before, but Lorelei meant it. She had meant it before. The two became fast friends. The villagers assumed Lorelei was trying to heal the cursed woman.
Later they met Kiyla, and gave her a home. And just this past week they met Professor McMaan and his many dolls.
"Come along, my friends!" Lorelei says happily. Beside her flies Farris, her demon. On her other side walks her magic cauldron. Inside is all kind of heavy things. And the corpses of the soldiers she had recently killed.
Behind them followed two human skeletons and a kobold zombie. They followed her every command.
As they travel, Lorelei tells stories! They're very dark and morbid!
Farris flutters his beautiful pink fairies wings, twitches his cute little pink nose, looks at Lorelei with his big, adorable, cute eyes, and smiles a furry little smile.
"Your story doesn't have enough death!" he squeaks in a cute little voice. "Bring on the blood!"
|
Organized Play Line Developer
|
As the group travels through the deep, dark forest, they hear all manner of strange sounds. But, being monsters themselves, nothing dare attack them on the remainder of the journey.
In time, the trail leads the party through the woods, across a stream, and to the ruins of an old monastery. The very same monastery the Lorelei and Kasonya once visited on their hunt for iron bloom mushrooms to create the healing remedy that saved Falcon's Hollow from illness.
A quick sweep of the upper levels shows there is no danger on the surface. Meanwhile, Kiyla finds that the tracks lead to a hidden hatch in the floor of the monastery... The hatch opens easily, but with a loud crrrrrrreeeeeeak. Under the hatch is an old, broken stone stairwell that descends into darkness.
The group descends...
The constant woodland background noise seems to liquefy in the murk below the surface. Replacing it is the occasional quasi-discernable whisper, moan, hiss, or intermittent echo of jangling chains. The stairs descend twenty feet underground before opening up into a large rectangular chamber. The stone walls of this area are covered with intricate carvings of dwarves toiling in mines or smithies. In the center of the chamber stands the bottom half of a broken obsidian obelisk. Crude picks, hammers, and other tools lie scattered around the chamber.
Multiple pathways lead out of the chamber. The one on the right has something brightly glowing inside it, casting the room in a red glow. The other hallways are dark. The hallway on the left echoes with a weird sound... It sounds like someone is dragging stone along stone. And you think you can make out some quiet chattering from that way.
As they travel Professor McMaan keeps his eyes open for signs of animals that Lorelei could turn into cool zombies.
---
Seeing that it's dark down the stairs Professor McMaan quickly pulls out his portable lab and crafts a pair of sunrods.
Then he uses it and heads down the stairs. He walks at the back of the group, but sends his poppets to the front.
---
When they get downstairs Professor McMaan waves a hand and gestures his spy poppet to go check out the centre hall.
The little straw haired doll scampers off into the dark hallway and looks around.
Lorelei walks at the back of the group with Professor McMaan, Professor Pig, and her cauldron. She gets her skeletons and zombie to walk in front of her.
—
Lorelei points and issues orders to her undead minions, sending one of her skeletons to the flickering light and the other to the grinding noises.
|
Organized Play Line Developer
|
On the journey here, the group is unable to find any interesting wildlife that Lorelei can turn into undead. This is probably due to the unnatural composition of your party. Animals naturally avoid unnatural creatures like magical constructs, and undead. Many also avoid the smell of blood.
---
As the sneaky poppet and the human skeletons head off in different directions, there's a commotion from the left hallway. You can hear some whispering, then the grinding noise stops.
Hearing the noises stop, Kiyla hurries over to that hallway and ducks around the corner. She draws her shortbow and waits... It looks like she expects an enemy to ambush the pink skeleton.
Following Kiyla's lead, Kasonya stalks over to the hallway and hides around the corner. She holds her skeletal hand out, ready to send her army of screaming souls at any enemies that might appear.
Lorelei lets her skeletons continue in their mission!
Professor McMaan lets his sneaky poppet continue forward. His combat poppet hurries into the fiery room and goes up to the door. Professor McMaan enters the room and stands so he can see both of his poppets.
|
Organized Play Line Developer
|
All of a sudden there's a shriek of panic from one of the hallways! A moment later a pair of red-scaled kobolds jump out of the hallway and attack the pink skeleton with their spears! One spear goes right between his rib bones, but the second stabs him in the pelvis! Luckily the spear point doesn't hurt the skeleton at all! Then one stone flies right past him, and another THWAKs the skeleton right in the skull! His head cracks a bit! .
COMBAT TRACKER - Round 1 - Bold may act!
Professor McMaan
Combat Poppet
Sneaky Poppet
Kasonya
Kiyla
Lorelei
Pink Skeleton
Purple Skeleton
Zombie
———
ONGOING EFFECTS / ENVIRONMENT
PENDING
Kiyla fires off an arrow at the orange kobold.
Then she stows her bow and takes a step forward, drawing her hatchet as she moves.
Knowing she won't be able to hit the kobolds with the skeleton in the way, Kasonya steps forward. She she reaches out her hands and grabs hold of the blood within the orange kobold. With a squeeze of her hands the kobold screams in pain!
Behind her the red souls scream. Kasonya lets out a cruel laugh!
Lorelei wanders into the room. She orders her pink skeleton to attack the kobolds. Then she orders her kobold zombie and her purple skeleton to go fight the kobolds, too!
Pink skeleton claws at the yellow kobold!
The purple skeleton clatters forward. And the kobold zombie slowly makes his way nearer to the fight.
Professor McMaan orders his combat poppet to open the door and attack whatever enemies it finds inside. He tells his sneaky poppet to wait. Then Professor McMaan walks towards the fight with Professor Pig.
|
Organized Play Line Developer
|
The wily kobold deflects the skeleton's claw attacks and Kiyla's arrow with his shield. Suddenly he yelps in pain and scratches at his skin, his blood feels like its freezing! The yellow kobold realizes that his spear won't hurt the skeleton, and instead tries to smash its bones with his shield! The skeleton dodges the clumsy blow! The orange kobold tries to help his pal with a shield bash of his own, but also misses.
From further down the hallway and out of sight, a pair of stones go flying at the pink skeleton. One misses, but the other cracks him right in the head.
COMBAT TRACKER - Round 2 - Bold may act!
Professor McMaan
Combat Poppet
Sneaky Poppet
Kasonya
Kiyla
Lorelei
Pink Skeleton
Purple Skeleton
Zombie
———
ONGOING EFFECTS / ENVIRONMENT
PENDING
Kasonya reaches out to the orange kobold again, grasping her blood and wracking his body with pain!
Kiyla double moves up into the fight and stares at the kobold with cold, hard eyes. Her black shadow looks like a monster.
Pink skeleton claws at the yellow kobold.
Purple skeleton and kobold move into the fight. Lorelei moves closer, and her cauldron follows.
"Bring on the blood!" Farris shouts. Then she sniffs the air.
"ATTACK!" he orders his combat poppet to attack.
Combat poppet moves forward as much as he can.
|
Organized Play Line Developer
|
Kilarra tears the kobolds blood right out of their body, causing the orange kobold to howl in pain and land on the ground in a heap. . Pink skeleton tears the yellow kobold apart with his claws. . The remaining kobolds shriek in panic! Two hold their ground and fire their slings at the pink skeleton, but both bullets miss. The other two kobolds flee in terror!! You soon lose sight of them down the long dark hallway.
COMBAT TRACKER - Round 3 - Bold may act!
Professor McMaan
Combat Poppet
Sneaky Poppet
Kasonya
Kiyla
Lorelei
Pink Skeleton
Purple Skeleton
Zombie
———
[/s]
ONGOING EFFECTS / ENVIRONMENT
PENDING
Kasonya draws the kobolds soul into her body, binding it to her for all eternity. A moment later is howling face can be seen among the reddish spirits surrounding her. Protecting her...
She grins.
Kiyla strides forward and swings her handaxe at the red kobold.
But the kobold dodges her blow!
"It's rather noisy down that hall. Sounds like a battle."
He waits while his combat poppet moves into the fight.
Lorelei moves into the hall and the cauldron follows. She tells her purple skeleton to put the kobold bodies into the cauldron. Her pink skeleton moves forward and keeps fighting.
|
Organized Play Line Developer
|
Both kobolds take a step back and fire their slings at the pink skeleton! The first rock misses, but the second strikes the skeleton in the skull causing it to crumble to dust!!
COMBAT TRACKER - Round 4 - Bold may act!
Professor McMaan
Combat Poppet
Sneaky Poppet
Kasonya
Kiyla
Lorelei
Purple Skeleton
Zombie
———
ONGOING EFFECTS / ENVIRONMENT
PENDING
Professor McMaan calls his nimble poppet back to him. Then he orders his combat poppet to fight the red kobold.
His nimble poppet wanders back.
The battle poppet hurries into battle.
Lorelei orders her purple skeleton to attack the pink kobold. Then she orders her zombie kobold to drag the dead kobold into her cauldron.
Kasonya draws in the soul of the second dead kobold, adding it to her collection of souls.
With no way to reach the enemy, Kiyla sheathes her handaxe and pulls out her shortbow.
|
Organized Play Line Developer
|
The last two kobolds yelp in pain, falling to the ground unconscious. Ahead you can hear a loud commotion, the direction that the two cowardly kobolds fled. Echoing through the halls you also hear a loud clanging, like the sounds of a hammer working metal at a forge. A variety of doors, passages, and hallways are nearby, waiting to be explored...
Professor Fancypants points at the nearest set of doors.
His battle poppet clanks its way over to the door and opens it. It walks inside.
As long as his poppet doesn't get attacked, Professor Fancypants heads inside and looks around.
Lorelei orders her skeleton and zombie to collect the last two dead kobolds.
|
Organized Play Line Developer
|
Kasonya consumes the souls of the dead kobolds while the undead load their corpses into the cauldron. Meanwhile, the battle poppet enters the next chamber alongside Kiyla. After a few moments of silence Professor McMaan follows with his trusty pig and sneaky poppet in tow.
The room is long and dark. It's unadorned and plain. A line of uncomfortable looking stone beds line the far wall, but they look unslept in. The room seems unused by the kobolds, dusty from disuse and neglect. But there's a strange metallic smell in the air... Like blood.
Kiyla and Professor McMaan look around and listen quietly, but find no enemies in the room. Kiyla detects droppings on the floor, reddish smears all over the floor that looks sort of like bird or bat droppings.
"An animal lives here, but I don't see it." She smiles a little and examines the droppings, curious what kind of delightful beast they belonged to.
After a moment she stands and holds her bow tightly. "It not an animal, whatever it is. It's something else. A magical beast or an aberration, maybe? Keep your eyes open."